Following the arrest of Additional DCP of CSW Thirupathanna and Additional SP of Bhupalpally N. Bhujanga Rao last week, former chief of Telangana’s Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) T. Prabhakar Rao is likely to be served summons for questioning in relation to the phone-tapping case.
According to the officials probing the matter, Mr. Rao’s alleged involvement came up during the questioning of suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police D. Praneeth Kumar alias Praneeth Rao.
“Mr T. Prabhakar Rao is currently not in India. He has informed us that he is in the United States for a medical check-up. Investigation is underway and he will be sent a notice for questioning when needed,” said a senior official.
Meanwhile, Ravi Pal, a technical consultant to the SIB, is currently being questioned in relation to the case. “He was associated with this team in terms of providing technology and is being questioned,” the official said.
This follows the week-long questioning of Mr. Praneeth, who is facing multiple charges, including criminal breach of trust. The West Zone police are now seeking police custody of Mr. Thirupathanna and Mr. Bhujanga Rao.
Mr. Praneeth was arrested on March 13 by the Panjagutta police from his residence in the Srinagar Colony of Rajanna-Sircilla district following a complaint from his superior D. Ramesh, Additional SP with the SIB, stating that there had been “a concerning pattern of his behaviour during his time as an Inspector and later as DSP with the SIB from 2018 to 2023.”
As per the complaint, Mr. Praneeth was involved in phone tapping, surveillance of opposition leaders, dismantling and destroying data in 42 hard drives and replacing them with new ones. Moreover, he also dismantled and destroyed equipment containing data by turning off the cameras on the night of December 4, 2023, the day Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) lost the Telangana Assembly Elections 2023.
He was booked under Sections 409, 427, 201 and 120 (B) of the IPC and cases were also registered under the Prevention of Destruction of Public Records Act (PDPP Act), 1984 and the Information Technology Act (ITA).
